It was over 5 months ago that I produced the last edition of Dean’s Diary onto the African Bundu Safaris website – and as you have guessed, I have been very busy with many company and personal issues to cope with. Some very exciting news, feedback from past clients on their trips around South Africa, new developments with our luxury accommodation website and changes in our office and family – and as Dean’s Diary normally takes me 3 or 4 days to compile, I like to do it over the same number of consecutive days, rather than so many interrupted days – and this weekend, I hope to be able to start and finish it, as I seem to have almost caught up with all our route and itinerary planning.

Past Clients & Safaris:

After every trip a client does with us, using our fast, friendly and efficient service, we do ask for some feedback, so that we know where we can improve and also where certain establishments might have let our clients down – we then will follow-up and try to rectify the problem. Luckily, we seldom hear about any problems and most clients have great praise for our service and itineraries we have planned for them for their safari through Southern Africa. I am not going to put the feedback in the correct date order, just so that I can write this quicker!
John came out from the USA for a meeting in Johannesburg for a few days – and we booked his accommodation for him, close to where he was to meet his client, and he reported that “all went well”. Wim flew out by himself from the Netherlands, to attend somebody’s wedding in the Limpopo province – and initially he was planning to visit the St Lucia Wetlands Park, but instead, we organised him to spend a few nights at a Treehouse Lodge near Kruger Park and Hoedspruit. We have not heard from him, but Gill reports what a great chap he was and they really enjoyed his stay. Wim, when you read this, love to have an e-mail from you.
Dan was a colleague of other clients, Jim & Pat, and they all teach in the Aramco Camp in Saudi Arabia. Dan, Joumana and baby son, Andrew, came on a super holiday that include some game reserves in the Greater Kruger area which include the Sabi Sands Reserve, and then they ended their trip in Cape Town, staying in the V&A Waterfront at a luxury hotel with stunning views over Table Bay. Dan I know enjoyed their trip, as he told a friend on his return to contact us, but Dan, we would still love to have some feedback from you.

Jim and Pat did send us some feedback, and in fact it was very detailed and useful. They came out for a few weeks, starting off at some of our popular wildlife lodges in the Kruger Park area, including the Sabi Sands reserve and then they made their way north on their self-drive vacation to near the Zimbabwe border, to enjoy the total solar eclipse , before returning to Johannesburg using our map and detailed route description – and then they flew down to Port Elizabeth and then toured along the Garden Route and ended their holiday in Cape Town where their son, who was now on leave from school in the USA, flew out to enjoy Christmas and the New Year with them.
Here is some of the feedback from them: “Thanks for a great itinerary. We had a wonderful vacation. I recommend a night in jo'berg (even at the airport) The immediate drive out was deadly, plus we strained to make the Gowrie gate just as the sun went down, only to find the gate's open till 11. Chitwa Chitwa wonderful food, accommodation, people, safaris. Loved it!!! Coach House great. Could have stayed 3 days painting that garden. Fantastic food, and a fireplace!!! in our room. Yum. Drive to Knysna beautiful beyond belief. I've given my heart to fynbos and must come back in blooming season. Took some fantastic floral shots. Montagu Pass stunning. What mountains you have in S.A. It is very beautiful country. I painted like crazy. What can I say about the Swartberg Pass. My eyes were falling out of my face. Between the amazing geology and the fynbos, we wished we had packed along a picnic lunch for Die Top. Prince Albert a nice little town. Pretty. We liked your scenic route to Gansbai…. Kirstenbosch was unbelievable. We had a Christmas picnic there. Great day! Loved the cape peninsular, would like to find a nice place to hang out in St. James for a week or so…” and yes, you guessed it, Pat is an artist and has her own website. If you are interested in seeing her art-work, let me know and I shall give you her web address.
Also over the December period was Tony and his family, they had booked into some time-share near Kruger Park and we organise a day trip for the family to go into Kruger Park for the day, from Hazyview town. Tony wrote to us shorter after they returned home - “We had a fantastic holiday, getting back about a month ago. Reality has struck very quickly as we slip back into real life. The safari was great; we were picked up at the right time (it was worth the 5.30am start) and at the right place. We had the vehicle to ourselves which was a bonus and the guy we were with, Henk Prinsloo, was very good. We didn't see all of the big five but we saw a number of other animals and creatures and my son had a wonderful time. Lunch was good, a simple buffet meal and then as the animals were being elusive and the day hot, we called off at about 4.30pm. I thought initially that it was probably a little expensive but had we driven ourselves I think we would have given up earlier and not seen half the game we did see. Also very helpful was Henk's knowledge of all the game, large and small; he was very informative about the birds, toads, frogs etc as well as the big game. All in all I was pleased with the way the day went and I would certainly consider doing the same thing again. Thank you for your assistance with it all.” And what Tony has said is what we try and tell so many of our self-drive clients, let us organise a Guide for at least one day in a wildlife reserve, just to share some of the knowledge and beauty of the flora and fauna. – and then you can go exploring on your own afterwards. Our local Guides are experienced and very knowledgeable and are keen to share it with our clients. If any of you need any of these clients e-mails addresses, to contact them and use them as a reference, please ask – they have all replied and willing to tell you about their experiences with African Bundu Safaris !

Also over the Festive season period, we had Nadine and Leo, who are friends of Mark & Akkie. (Mark & Akkie came during the beginning of 2002 on a holiday and had a great time – since then they have referred a number of their friends from the UK, Belgium and Netherlands to us for holidays. Thanks guys, much appreciated.) Nadine and Leo enjoyed a fantastic vacation that included Sabi Sabi, Victoria Falls, Rocktail Bay and Cape Town. We accommodated them at some of the best establishments in Southern Africa and they really appreciated the superb service and facilities that they experienced. Here is their brief feedback – “It was absolutely fantastic, and we will come back for sure ! Once we have sorted the 1000+ pictures, we will send you some samples. Thanks for everything” Wow, that sure is a lot of photos, but I know you went to some fabulous destinations, so I can expect that! What is a great idea I say to many clients, there are so many free websites that are readily available, why not create your own website and put a selection of your photos on, then all family and friends can see them, without sitting for hours downloading pictures that get e-mailed to you. This way the world can see all the great places that you visited – and arranged by African Bundu Safaris. Already Nik & Angie have a website of their trips they have done over the past few years, our first Honeymoon couple, Dave & Bernie created our first clients website – and they have been super in referring so many prospective clients to us. We have had a few other clients who have made websites, but we have not linked ours to their sites.

Also over the festive season we had Robert and his wife, Danielle from Madagascar. They started their trip in Cape Town, exploring the Cape Peninsula with Eric, our CT Guide, then off to the Winelands for a super time there, before they left on a self-drive to Oudtshoorn and the Garden Route with Christmas Day in Knysna, before they flew to Phalaborwa and then spending the last few days of the year in some small private game reserves. There was a bit of a nasty incident on the day they were to fly out, their flight from Phalaborwa to Johannesburg was cancelled and we were never informed that they were put onto another earlier flight – so it was a last minute panic and extra expenses to get them onto a flight from Hoedspruit. Now we have the terrible task of getting a refund from SAA for the unused ticket. This normally takes 8 to 12 weeks, and it is over 4 months now and I still have not been refunded – and they would normally think it was me holding the refund up. Folks, please, it is always best for you to do your own flights – domestic and international – we can do the domestic flights, but not only is it a hassle, but if there are problems like this, we cannot concentrate on sorting out these problems and the flight changes or delays are never our fault – we have no control over the airlines. None-the-less, they had a super trip – and here is some of their feedback: “Effectively we enjoyed this wonderful holiday in South Africa. Thanks for all your help and very good organisation. It's not so easy for you to choose what is the best when you don't no what kind of people our family is, and what things we like or not. Overall, the itinerary was very good, and the peoples was very OK with us and some very sympathetic. Here is our feed back and some comments: Our Cape Town Guesthouse: Excellent choice for a couple, comfort, near from Waterfront and restaurants choices. Aissa was very gently and she help us with attention.
Touring with Eric: He is very gently and he furnished good historic information ; we pass two beautiful days with his assistance. He was on time and he choose the adequate places to visit, he is very efficient. We recommend the restaurant La Petite Ferme, it's a must.
The self-drive Cape Town to Oudtshoorn and to Knysna and George: All your explanations was good and easy to understand. After two or three hours of drive I was OK and we have no problems with the car; but It' was a little bit to small for me , I don't tell you my needs because I'm a strong and tall man, it's OK.
Knysna, B&B: Pat and his daughter was very gently with us and the room was comfortable, we like and enjoy this place. Pat reserved good restaurants for Christmas time and it was excellent.
Fly George to Johannesburg and to Phalaborwa, was very with South Africa Express, very good services.
M. Lodge Game Reserve; we don't like it but we really love and enjoy this lovely game reserve. Tony and his family are very nice and all the staff member, it's very clean, good ambience, the cooking was fresh and each meal was animated by all the staff. We recommend this lodge even if not so much animals to see compare to T. Game Lodge. T. Game Lodge, we past only one night and effectively we saw the most animals that it was possible. It's not our first Safari in Africa, for us to see Animals like in a Zoo ( because they say that it's a program), that was to much commercial for us. The bungalow was not so clean and the meals was not very good. Too much guests, to much commercial.” So, they have enjoyed their holiday, but did not favour one of my favourite lodges, I guess not everyone has the same tastes as me – but as Robert said at the beginning, it is difficult to know what total strangers will or will not enjoy, without having met them before. Friends of theirs had been to T Game Lodge before, so I thought that when I recommended it, they would have seen their friends photos and heard a lot about it.

Keith and Annette had flown out from the UK to enjoy a great vacation in South Africa. They had family and relatives in Pretoria, so we planned the holiday to include some weekends in Pretoria, so they could spend some time with the family. Starting off in Cape Town, they enjoyed David’s guiding services and then the drove to Cape Agulhas, Oudtshoorn and Knysna. Spending a few days in Knysna gave them a chance to explore The Garden Route, before flying back to Johannesburg and then they went exploring the Kruger National Park. They sent us a super feedback document with some photos included in the paragraphs – and made very interesting reading and valuable information for us. I will only include their final paragraph, as often we have prospective clients wondering how genuine we are or what type of service we can offer – so here is the comment from Annette & Keith: : “We have many excellent memories of our holiday. We thank you sincerely for the effort put into the arrangements made on our behalf. The route, the vouchers, the choice of accommodation all worked fantastically. I must say that when we first approached the internet with our original request we had a number of concerns about how genuine responses would be. I can say with conviction and experience that it is unlikely that we could have made a better choice than accepting the offer made to us by African Bundu Safaris. Special thanks to Alice and Dean for the work that was so obvious to us, but thanks also to other staff that must have been involved. We are most grateful and would be happy to act as reference should potential customers feel in need of a few supporting words. Very best wishes and thank you! Annette and Keith Johnston. Oxford, UK” Thank you very much folks for your wonderful feedback and kind words. I shall certainly forward your names to prospective clients who need references – cheers.

Shortly before Keith and Annette arrived, Stephane and Valerie, other friends of Robert and Danielle from Madagascar, contacted us, to organise their vacation to South Africa, also over the festive period. As every single hotel and guesthouse we contacted in Cape Town was already full, we found them a super self-catering apartment with stunning views over the sea, and then we organised for David to take them on tour with Keith and Annette the one day – and they all had a great day of the Cape Peninsula – which included Hout Bay, Cape Point, Boulders Beach Penguin colony and ended at Table Mountain. After Cape Town, they spent a few nights in Franschoek, right in the winelands, before flying back to Madagascar after a weeks holiday. Stephane wrote the following comments and not only does he have a sense of humour, they also had a great trip! “South Africa , Capetown & the wine route were so great that I'm looking forward to come and settle in your country, man ! If you know any Telecom Business that looks forward to hire a clever marketing & sales French director, I am the person ! David was excellent, like he had booked nice weather for us for Table Mountain & the Cape, he had to cope with my wife's expectations on Flea Market a Sunday afternoon (such a patience) ...... For Franschoek, you must advise to other tourists to go to La Petite Ferme, to eat and to try their own Chardonnay (they only produce 2000 bottles per year, you MUST try one !) it is worth the route ! Why not also organise some golf & nice tables tour? I would be one of your best clients....
Looking forward to read you & thanks for all. From Valérie & Stéphane.

I believe that Stephane has made enquiries about moving to South Africa and working here – so I look forward to your coming to Durban and exploring here as well. Our beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal is also known as The Garden Province, due to the warm sub-tropical climate we experience and the lush gardens and greenery that you will find throughout the year. More about this later….

I had a surprise e-mail from a past client of ours, Chris, who had come to SA a year ago – and it certainly sounds as though his boss overworks him, but also does look after him, as he was told to take a holiday to SA and we arranged this last minute holiday for him – well, he has now found time to send us an e-mail and some feedback on his holiday – thanks Chris, much appreciated: “When I made first contact with Dean, there was little more than a week until my flight from London to Cape Town. I was escaping the winter chill of the UK in a fit of sun-craving impulsiveness. In that week, Dean still managed to create about 10 tour options (and this was at Christmas time, so many of the usuals were already booked full) and we must have exchanged about a dozen emails. It was inspirational and helped to launch a great holiday. This, however, was just the start of the exemplary service that Dean provides.
During my flight, I was forced to overnight in Frankfurt (the German airline claiming that they couldn’t find a spare part for the plane, a blatantly transparent cover story which utterly failed to hide there true intentions, to boost local tourism) and this delay meant we would be arriving in Jo’Burg just before the last connecting flight to Cape Town. There was no way to accommodate all the passengers on this small flight, so many people were going to have to spend a night in Jo’Burg and waste a day of their holiday arranging a connection to Cape Town. I had just enough time in Frankfurt to send a fax to Dean, explaining that I was delayed in Germany and asking him to let the hotel in Cape Town know that I might not be arriving until one day later. Imagine my surprise then when I found I had a seat reserved on that last flight out of Jo’Burg to Cape Town! Dean had, of his own volition, taken the trouble to safeguard my connection and thus save me a wasted day in the airport. It is this proactive, personal approach combined with his attention to detail that allows me to say, without a doubt, that Dean provides the finest one-stop tourist service I have ever encountered.” Chris goes on to say that he is moving home out of London and hopes to be able to save more money and thus return to SA for another holiday! We look forward to your return Chris – just more weeks notice please – ha, ha!
A few months ago, we had an enquiry from Stephanie who worked on Broadway, New York – she is an actress and had a play to perform in. Here is an excerpt from one of her initial e-mails: I have recently been cast in a one-woman play called "The Syringa Tree" which will play in a few cities in the US; it is a story about a white English girl growing up in Johannesburg in the 1960's and 70's, it tells of the love between her family and a black family who work for them. There are many different characters I must play--Zulus, Xhosas, Afrikaners, Sothos--and I am required to learn their accents and dialects. I am studying South African culture and history…” Well, like a true professional, Stephanie decided to come and spend some time here in South Africa – to live, work, eat, sleep, play with the South Africans to gain more knowledge and experience and be able to perform like a star! Well, I am not in the USA and so have not had the privilege of seeing The Syringa Tree – so if any of you have seen it, then you have seen Stephanie perform – and if you meet her, send her African Bundu Safaris best wishes! Stephanie and her friend Sue-Ann spent time in Johannesburg and the Pilanesberg National Game Reserve – and I am sure they had a great time!
During January, John and his brother, Walter, together with their wives, Marjorie & Marjorie, came to South Africa – starting off in Cape Town, where another Operator organised that section, and then when they arrived in Durban, Shiney, our bubbly lady Guide, escorted them around. John & Walter had grown up as young boys on a mission school, south of Durban between 1934 and 1941, and so wished to return to see not only their old home, but also South Africa. A week before they arrived, Shiney and myself went exploring, locating their old home and other places of interest that they were keen to re-visit – a lot of preparation work to ensure that Shiney could provide that special reunion they were expecting. Not only did she take them to their old home, but to the Inanda Mission station and other attractions in and around Durban, before driving to the Drakensberg and then onwards to Johannesburg – where she showed them some of the attractions as well. We had a super e-mail from John on their return and it certainly seems as though all went well and was enjoyed: “There have been many changes, but we had no difficulty recognizing Adams and recognizing the changes which have occurred there over the years. The house we lived in was as we remembered it, subject to and despite the many changes - not for the better - inside and out. We didn't know Inanda nearly as well but (after the restorations of recent years) we had no difficulty in recognizing much that was the same now as 60 plus years ago. As for feedback in general, the advance preparation by Shiney was above and beyond. The Isithumba village down in 1,000 Hills was a really great experience, except (a) it was a bit too much for some of us (primarily because of the heat) and (b) it seems more likely that the Zulu lunch eaten with fingers was the cause of later intestinal upset problems suffered by all of us, than the too-hot Indian dinner we had the second night later. Perhaps it was the combination. Certainly it wasn't the wine or anything in the air. Montusi Mountain Lodge was great, so was Beckley House. We will work on our son and his partner to visit S. Africa soon. We will recommend you (and Shiney) as guides for the KZN area. Best regards, John.”

One of our favourite clients then returned to our shores – Jim & Judith from the UK. This is their third visit and it was certainly as exciting as ever to plan their holiday as the previous years. After spending a couple of nights in Johannesburg, they jetted off to Mozambique to spend a week on a island which proved to be an exciting and different experience, before returning to JHB for a night and then off to Zimbabwe for 3 weeks. As Jim & Judith will tell you, Zimbabwe is a safe destination, as long as you know where to go – one has to avoid the south, the urban areas of Harare and Bulawayo and avoid the farming areas. The areas and lodges that we use are firstly in rural areas, owned or part-owned by black Zimbabweans and managed by a reputable South African based company, with offices in Zimbabwe. After spending 5days riding elephants near Victoria Falls, they flew to the wilderness area of Lake Kariba for a week on a floating chalet, where they enjoyed safaris by foot, boat and 4x4. Unfortunately they also heard a protected rhino being shot by poachers – the first poaching incident in nearly a decade in this wilderness area. From Matusadona, they then flew to the lower Zambezi and into the Mana Pools area, where they were virtually the only guests there for the week they spent there. From Judith’s feedback, they had an absolute hoot and as normal, they left their special mark at each lodge they stayed at. Judith’s feedback as usual, is very valuable to us, and is also lengthy, so I shall just insert a few comments – and then as usual, her ending poem! Over the years we have built up a special relationship, and have yet to meet! I call her Aunty J and so she calls me Nephew!
For their transport to Benguerra island, they had to fly on a small aircraft to the town of Vilanculos, for immigration formalities and then a boat transfer to the island and lodge: “…….. we had to carry our own luggage down to departure gate (puff puff). Eventually van arrived and we passed jumbos, 747`s, 737`s, 757`s` cargo, executive jets and just when running out of runway PELICAN AIRWAYS. Two and a half hours (no toilet - water at the back, sandwich under the seat) we arrived at Vilanculos. Met by host and tumultuous seas for journey to Marlin. Arrived soaked to the skin but grateful we had survived. Room, food very good and it was no hardship when we were transferred to the Presidential Suite (who’s the lucky ones then). All went very well……. Had a wonderful time, snorkelling good although journey to site lengthy with no shade and the fishing fantastic - caught a 16kg Kingfish and got proof so nah!! … (and then it was off to the elephant camp near Victoria Falls) …. “A lovely camp, entirely to ourselves along with the resident Impala Maa, an 11 year old orphan who became our constant companion whenever in camp. We had 7 elephants and did about 5 to 6 hours and 12 to 15 kms per day. Ambling along gently admiring the beautiful scenery - bliss, we were in our 7th heaven, Jims fears of a sore bum never materialised, we lived, ate, washed, slept elephants …… Our last day there reduced this hardened lady to tears when all the elephants came to say goodbye, I blubbed all the way to Vic Falls. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has a love of the mighty beast. Their training is sympathetic and done with much love, a privilege for us to share. (They then flew to Lake Kariba from Vic Falls) …. Good scenic flight, see Vic Falls in distance and good sighting of Kariba Dam. Arrive at our water camp. Lovely setting and outside our floating chalet, a nesting green-backed heron. Game wanders down to the waters edge, lovely……. Obert is our guide, that man was fantastic, he taught us so much and in a Judith/Jim type manner (we never stopped talking). We heard early morning hyena (eerie) and had a face-to-face confrontation with a black rhino (awesome). (After 6 nights here, they then flew to the Lower Zambezi River - ) ….. ….. A beautiful lodge, the panoramic view of the river bed and beyond - magic, especially when a wild elephant brushed past our balcony not 4 feet from where I was standing …… (and as expected, they ‘entertained’ the staff) …. and I became Ground Control, bringing a plane in dressed in overalls, headphones and yellow batons. Anthony, the pilot, nearly fell thro his undercarriage, the last thing he expected to see - a mad woman on a runway, great laughs all round .. We did a play for the "boys" in the back, they nearly fell off their chairs - all we could see were black shiny faces and white teeth, we had a whale of a time and then they performed for us. We couldn’t have been made more welcome if we had been royalty. Tam & Sash did two private dinner parties for us, the full Monty, candles, wine etc complete with 3 lions in the background. . The fishing on the Zambezi was incredible and on our last day we caught 17 large bream which supplied the lodge and those working there, in fact we caught so much, they dried them for use later.” WOW, what a trip – and they certainly leave a very good memorable mark at every lodge they visit. I sometimes mention their name to lodges they visited a year or two ago – and despite the hundreds of guests that have passed through those lodges, they all remember Jim & Judith with fond memories. A true to her word, Judith sent me The Poem, after recovering from their holiday!

Dearest Nephew, you are my man,
I’m your UK`s biggest fan,
Three years on, and we’re going stronger -
Heavens and my bills are longer!

Each trip gets harder to follow,
We return like the proverbial swallow.
To savour hyenas laughing at dawn,
Heralding the sunrise at early morn.
Elephants approaching from silent bush
As night falls - an expectant hush.
Sightings of leopard adrenalin rush -
Warthogs rooting giving earth a push.

Our many adventures our lives enrich
How do you arrange without a hitch?
Getting stuck in sand so deep,
Gives us a giggle before we sleep.
Scrubbing elephants bums - we take whatever comes!
Saving man from a lions clutch,
Our timely intervention - a clever touch.
Zambezi fishing, we cannot be beat,
Bream for all - a tasty treat.
AK47`s - the poachers ring and a nasty scorpion sting!
Our practical jokes and laughter all round,
AFRICA - a home and friends we’ve found

It couldn’t happen without someone like you,
To arrange, fiddle and wrangle,
A carrot before me - you dangle.
Thank you dear nephew for all you have done,
One day we’ll meet, I may yet call you SON
(by kind permission of your Mum of course)

Auntie

Well, I guess I won’t hear from them for a month or two, and then we shall be planning their 2004 holiday! I sent Judith a beautiful scenic calendar of South Africa, to inspire them of some new destinations to include in their next trip!

Another super couple I have had fun corresponding with, and I had the equal pleasure of meeting them, even if for only 20 minutes at Durban Airport, was Ian and Sylvie from Montreal. For months we had been bus planning their trip – a real mix of a trip – from JHB to Kruger area, then a camping safari through Swaziland and Maputaland, ending in St Lucia, then a self-drive to the Drakensberg before flying down to Port Elizabeth and exploring the Garden Route to Cape Town, where their trip ended. I was spoilt again – what is it with these Canadians – they brought me TWO cans of Maple Syrup, which they kindly gave me when I met them for tea at Durban airport, whilst they were waiting for their flight to PE!! I have a sweet tooth, so Maple Syrup is MUCH appreciated – and as I was discussing with Cliff, a future client, maple syrup goes onto anything – potatoes, ice cream, bread….etc yummie!! Well, Sylvie outdid herself and gave me a very detailed feedback on the places they visited, the hosts, the scenery etc – THANKS. I have just copied some of their comments below – oh, and poor old Ian ended up with Tick bite fever, obviously from a infected tick that must have bitten him whilst on the camping safari – but it ruined his last week of his holiday as he was suffering from the terrible fever! Folks, in all the cities and towns, there is a private doctor – and a consultation would cost from R80 to R120 – then there is medication after that. I know that when you go to a foreign country, you are hesitant about using medical services, but our standards and requirements for the medical services is very high – it is just the rural clinics that I would avoid, but then if it is just for a consultation to determine what is wrong, you will often find that even the pharmacy (drug store / chemist) in most towns/cities would have an experienced and highly qualified pharmacist – seek help early rather than wait until the holiday is ruined and/or hospitalisation is required. Anyway, here is some of their feedback: “Yes we are unfortunately back home because all great things eventually come to an end. We are back to even colder temperatures, with nights dipping to -30 degrees Centigrade and a lot more snow and more to come !!!! All this does is confirm that we definitely want to come back to South Africa. What an amazing trip this was. Everything we were hoping for and more! Thank you so much once again Dean, for pointing us so often exactly in the direction we wanted. In spite of quite a few snags which had nothing to do with our mutual great planning, we are back with the greatest memories. I am so glad we got to meet at the airport. I feel that we have made a friend forever. ….. … the Treehouse Lodge was exactly what we hoped for. Unusual, by our standards, friendly and professional. Good game viewing, mostly the only herd of buffalos we saw up close. Loved the setting and are glad we didn't miss it. Might have been even more fun with more guests, we were only 4, but Wes and Dale did a great job entertaining us. Food was great too. Thumbs up! The Bundu Safari was equally successful, delivering a very pleasant professional tour. Lots of game viewing that would not have been possible had we driven on our own. The information provided by Willem were greatly appreciated. The Drakensberg Mountains were amazing. The clear skies somewhat elusive, but the walk to Tugela gorge, the peacefulness of Tendele hutted camp, the views and even the scenic drive through the battlefields, with school children owning the road, all unforgettable. Cathedral Peaks Didima camp is extremely promising. Incredible architecture and setting but major problem with mosquitoes in the rooms and heat! …… at the Tsitsikamma Park ….. the incredible setting of the oceanette, in fact the only accommodation to really consider there. …… at Noetzie beach and it's castles. I play with the seagulls and plough snails.... what a beautiful spot, with it's own lagoon, isolation, peacefulness... haaaa. In Knysna, Ypie and Eric offer a great breakfast in their tastefully decorated lodge. Their suggestions for dinner are also absolutely perfect. Yum, yum. … In Oudtshoorn ….. got a seat at Jemima's, apparently one of the 10 best restaurants in SA. My ostrich and my kudu fillets are delicious. Seems like to whole town woke up on this Sunday, just to go to Jemima's. Owned by two sisters, one is the cook, the other one the hostess, they have a winning formula. In Swellendam, once again, thumbs up Dean. Our hosts are so sweet and professional... .it is a pleasure to savour the moment. I hope you have tons of new clients. I know they will be happy! Don't hesitate to use us as a reference, it will be a pleasure to extol your virtues. Big hugs and kisses from both of us "chilling" in Montreal, Sylvie and Ian”
Well Sylvie and Ian – it was all a real pleasure and I really look forward to you guys coming here again – you say about 9 years time for a 6 month trip – what a pleasure! Keep in touch though, and send more Canadian clients, my maple syrup won’t last for 9 years!!

As I think a lot of you will know, South Africa, along with Kenya and Zimbabwe, hosted the ICC – World Cup Cricket recently, and we had a couple of clients who were out here to enjoy the cricket, Mohamed flew out from New York, and we organised a few days in Johannesburg, followed by a safari to Kruger Park, then off to Sun City for a few days, before returning to Johannesburg for the final cricket match. Nafisa did a lot of Mohamed’s arrangements and so they had built up a nice friendship. Here is his feedback once he returned home: “Hello Dean/ Nafi. Arrived safely on Wed. 26th and I must say that I had a very marvellous time in South Africa. All the appointments with the safari's and tours and shuttle bus service were all on time. All accommodations were booked accordingly and coincide with the world cup cricket. It was real fun and I would recommend all my friends and relatives in the U.S to book through Dean ABS and hope to be there again soon. Thanks a lot. Mohamed”
Mohamed, we really look forward to your return visit, and booking your friends and relatives holidays and safaris for them. Keep in touch friend.
Our most recent couple to return home after their safari was Anthony and Nicole from Australia. WE have very few clients from Australia – and Anthony explains that those South Africans who have emigrated to Australia are very bad ambassadors to our country, having left for various reasons, so the Australians hear all the bad stories and not the good side, as bad, if not worse, than the media!! On the good side though, they really enjoyed their stay and the following is what Anthony had to say after they returned home: ”Thanks for your professional service thought the prelim stages and for the after sales service. It was great to have such personable and detailed service. The instructions for the self-drive were near perfect with great attention to detail. The itinerary was well thought of and methodical, each venue we arrived in all we had to say was African Bundu and no vouchers were asked for, the red carpet was rolled out. I showed your instructions to other Durban locals who were going to advise me on possible advice but after one look they said they can't add anything to that and gave it there blessing as well. All in all Nicole and myself were more than happy with everything.” Thanks Anthony for that feedback, plus the SUPER photos you took. Already Nafisa is using one as her desktop on the one office PC ! Yes, I am quite proud of the detailed self-drive itineraries that I give our clients. It takes many hours to compile them and they are quite comprehensive, though some folks want to save a bit of money and prefer to find their own way around. I am reluctant to send a client of ours off on a trip without some directions, as often the signboards are missing and lots of establishments are hidden in remote areas, making them special and unique.

Well, there you have it folks, our feedback from past clients who came to African Bundu Safaris – for their holiday, vacation, safari to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mocambique, Swaziland & Zambia.

Present and Future Safaris:

At the moment Paul and Elsje are touring around KwaZulu-Natal on their own, before they end at one of my favourite game lodges near Hoedspruit, where they have been a number of times before. They then go off to Botswana with another couple on a camping self-drive safari. Paul and Elsje met Judith & Jim a few years ago and had heard about our services, so decided to use our services this time to plan their holiday as we do not mark up the lodge prices, so it was convenient for them to make only one payment instead of 5 or 10 different payments. Mona & Farrukh leave Kuwait shortly, arriving in Johannesburg mid April, for a 10 day holiday – including a wildlife safari in the Hoedspruit and Kruger National Park area, before flying down to Cape Town and then enjoying 5 nights there, where they will go caged shark diving at Gansbaai. Sam and Cheryl get married before Easter and then enjoy their Honeymoon in the Maputaland region – flying in to the Kosi Bay airstrip for a few nights of romantic adventure and then off to the private Mkuze Falls reserve for the final nights of luxury. Over the Easter weekend, Chas and his family from Pretoria, travel to Hoedspruit area, to enjoy 3 nights of close encounters and personal attention at Tshukudu Game Lodge. Chas’s son, Carl, is dead keen to have an exciting career in wildlife, and apart from me taking the two of them 2 years ago on a safari, Carl has enjoyed a number of days and weeks at various game lodges, gaining valuable experience to benefit his future. I am sure that Wendell, Ross, Chris and the other Rangers will ensure that not only Carl, but the entire family have a memorable time. I have always enjoyed my stays here and it feels like a 2nd home to me – warm hospitality, super food and comfortable accommodation.

Jane & David are returning to our shores, you might remember that Shiney took them around last year on a Zululand safari for their 10th wedding anniversary, well this time, they are off to the Kalahari and western Cape region. They start in Upington and go on a 4x4 safari into the Kgalagadi Trans-Frontier Park – which is famous for the black-mane lions, enormous herds of springbok, wildebeest and gemsbok (oryx gazelle) and of course the raptor birds. They will be our first clients to sleep in the new remote desert camps, so we are really looking forward to their feedback. After Dantes returns them to Upington, they then set off on a self-drive holiday, popping in to the Augrabies Falls and Fish River Canyon, before heading south to the Cedarberg Mountains and finally ending in Cape Town. Jane & David, we look forward to hearing from you after this adventurous holiday.
Rob, Cliff and Howard are all different English Football fans/supporters and will be coming out for the English vs South Africa football match in Durban, on the 22 May. All of them are travelling different routes and visiting different attractions – which include the Drakensberg Mountains, Sodwana Bay, The Garden Route and Cape Town, apart from their stay in Durban. The hotels and guesthouse are all full over this period – but what really ticks me off is when there are large events in Durban (or any city), then the accommodation establishments all seem to decide to increase their tariffs! That is exploitation and so unethical as far as I am concerned!! They do not include anything extra for the increased rate, so why the increase? I know Adrian was also hoping to be able to come out, but we have not heard from him for a while, but I must thank him for mentioning us on the English Fans website – as the above chaps all got hold of us through that website.

One of my first camping clients and church friends of mine, Heather & Graham, along with some friends will be staying at one of the Umfolosi Bush lodges during the wonderful month of May – where I know they will enjoy superb bush walks, tasty food and then self-drive game drives. For most South African clients, especially my friends, I will always give a discount where possible, so avoid the hassle of trying to organise and book yourself – let me do it for you! It is afterall, my bread and butter – and the more of you that book, means that I can have some peanut butter on my bread!! Another South African couple, Hans and his wife, and then some British friends of theirs, will be following my route and itinerary as they drive from Durban to explore Namibia and Botswana during May. They have a lot of driving ahead of them, as the country of Namibia is vast and the distances between attractions are equally great. During June, Jake and his family will be returning to Africa – Jake was one of our first self-drive clients and works with the forestry industry on the western side of the USA in Washington. Jake and family shall also be exploring Namibia, after having arrived in Cape Town first of all. Their highlights shall include Swakopmund, the Skeleton Coast and Etosha – alas, time does not permit them to explore the rest of the country. Weldon, a professional photographer from the USA, was planning to lead a photographic safari for his clients through Botswana during June. He is not having much luck, as last year he had to postpone the trip due to the Sept 11 disaster, and just when all was settling down, the Iraq war started and so his bookings have dropped and it certainly looks as though he is going to postpone it again. Sorry mate.
However, during June, Tina & Joseph, along with their friends Skip & Julie, will be enjoying a customised safari that includes the Drakensberg Mountains, Hluhluwe-Umfolosi & Mkuze Game Reserves and then off to Kruger National Park before spending a night and hiking in the Blyde River Canyon. They are having a mixture of camping and chalets and shall be assisting their Guide with the camping chores – i.e. a participating camping safari. June is a great month for camping, as the chances of rain are slim and the nights are full of sparkling stars! During July, all going well, Jan from Sweden, together with his family, will be coming out to Durban, and then Melody will be guiding them for portion of their stay – in and around Durban, before Dave, our wildlife specialist takes them into the Hluhluwe-Umfolosi Reserve for a few nights in a remote bush lodge. Once in the wilderness area, Dave shall be taking them on bush walks, to have close encounters with not only The Big 5, but lots of other mammals, reptiles and birds. I must mention that some great new friends of mine, Nik & Angie, will be returning to South Africa, again. I met Nik a few years ago, taking him and his buddy on a short safari, then you might recall that 2 years ago Nik brought his girlfriend Angie out to S. Africa, proposed to her whilst in a helicopter over Vic Falls, and then last year they returned to get married in the bush at Thula Thula Exclusive Private Game Reserve. I was honoured to be their best man! We have become good mates since Nik first starting making South Africa his second home! Well, they are returning again in August, and we have planned a super trip for them. Nik has also created a great website – which is being found on a few search engines already – and shows photos of their previous trips. Thanks guys – much appreciated. I have a link to their website from my website.
Talking of websites – have you seen our new website – depicting luxury accommodation from Cape Town to Kenya! It is a SUPER website – with photos and text and links to numerous other websites. It took a lot of work to get it going and I hope that over the next year or two, it shall all be paid off. Accommodation in Africa is the name, with the website address being: http://www.accommodationinafrica.co.za

Family & Friends

The Big news this month is my only brother, Sean. He has decided to emigrate – with his company offering him a position in New Zealand. That means my God-daughter, Erin, along with her brother & sister (James and Katy) and my sister-in-law, Monica, will all be leaving our shores on the 1 May. They drive to JHB and then fly to the Far East for 3 nights, then onwards to NZ – to start a new life – very exciting, and we are really going to miss them. I am definitely stuck here for the next 3 to 5 years – with our business and personal commitments, so I cannot even think of visiting them. Over the last year I have spent more time with them than the previous years – I guess not only due to the pending emigration, but also I have not been personally guiding the safaris and been in Durban in the office. Erin is an absolute delight to be with – well, for the first hour or two. She is still at that stage of not running out of energy! We get on so well – and my dear mother feels very left out because if we visit Sean & family together, Mom gets a quick “hello granny” and then I get the hug, kiss and – ‘please carry me” and it is a continuous ”Uncle Dean” this and “Uncle Dean” that… what a pleasure! She even has my eyes, everyone tells me – so she really is good!
Well, my younger sister, her eldest son, Sven, some of you might recall, a couple of years ago he excelled in his swimming – well, he has performed superbly again, and come 9th in the country at the recent national swimming championships! Well done Sven – a fantastic achievement – and Lynn phone today to say that one of Durban’s top high schools had phoned to offer him a scholarship for their school next year! I am watching the newspapers for his brothers results, as Bjorn is a natural at anything he does – I reckon he watches his older brother and then improves on those results!
My oldest sister, Gail, is still enjoying her medical insurance career, in Bethlehem – and recently I took my mother there to celebrate a ceremony Gail organised there. After the function we went to the Drakensberg to spend the night – at a hotel with al altitude of over 2000 metres - and woke up in the morning with STUNNING, breathtaking views over the lower Drakensberg Mountains. I took some stunning photos of the cloud cover and sunrise – thanks to Gail waking me up at 05h00 !!
My mother is now officially out of the library services – as they do not want white staff, especially those over 63 years of age! In December she was told to leave by the end of the month, so Lynn’s husband got his attorney’s to investigate the legality of what the city council were doing – this caused a panic, and a few weeks letter, she got an official letter giving a months notice. So, now she is without a job and does not hold up enough will power and motivation to do anything. For the past 20 years she has told me, she will sort out this and clean up that and pack this and arrange that – “when I have time” – well, Mom, now you have plenty of time! All those stamps you have collected for 50 years, all that jumble to sort out, those letters to file, photos to put into albums, junk to throw out, sewing to do… plenty of time. Incentive – to fulfil your promise and occupy your day!

One big change a lot of you would have noticed is the departure of Alice from African Bundu Safaris. Alice was very helpful and a big part of ABS over the past 4.5 years, and especially during the first 3.5 years when I was out Guiding clients around the countries. Since November 2001, I have remained in Durban and so her role has not been as responsible as before – well, after a discussion in January, she decided to leave and so I then employed Nafisa. Nafs is a young lady who was a top student of Travel and Tourism at the Durban college and is already showing her mark here. She is a quick worker and always has a laugh and a smile on her face! I pray that her stay will be a long and happy one. Yesterday was her birthday, so I took her to the lovely Razzmatazz restaurant, a lot of you will know when you stay in Umhlanga Rocks – and we enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch, with a great view over the main beach!
My lady friend from Germany, Claudia, came out during March to attend a friends wedding, along with her mother, and so I spent the one day taking her and her mother around a bit of Durban & to lunch at the Café Fish, overlooking the yacht basin – and then on the Monday after the wedding, we drove to Thula Thula for a morning game drive and lunch – phew was it a hot day then – their safari vehicle does not have a roof over it, so we really cooked! The day before they left, my Alzheimer’s friend, Joe & I went and had lunch with them – and I said my goodbyes then. I gather that we shall only remain pen friends from now on. My friend Joe is unfortunately getting affected more with his disease and it is so sad, as he is such a wonderful person. I do try and spend every Thursday with him – and we visit all sorts of places and have a great day – a nice day out of the office for me as well.
Our house is looking really nice now, as Elvis has been spending a lot of time over the past few months here, helping me with lots of small repairs and maintenance. Nkosinyathi also came around for a few visits over the past few months, but now he has qualified as a forklift driver and so he has work more frequent and so does not need the extra bit of money we pay him. He however did give me a fantastic present at the end of last year – and I have laminated it now got a nice frame for it to hang in the flat – St Blaize, for when he visits us again! I have been really enjoying my church, the friendship and the ‘duties’ that I do there. I operate the computer that displays the words of the worship songs, plus once every 8 or 9 weeks, I am on car guard duty outside to ensure everyone’s cars are still there when they come out of church. There was a spate of car thefts a year ago from the various churches, so we had to take these precautions. You might recall that I said I was going to take my sister to Ndumo Wilderness lodge for a few nights of stress-free leave – what a pleasure it was! En route there, we towed a trailer full of Christmas gifts for the orphaned children and staff of the Mosvold Mission Clinic in rural Zululand, that our church members had kindly donated – and then Gail and I had a fabulous relaxing time at Ndumo. The first night there were other guests, but the 2nd day, we were the only guests, so I know what Jim & Judith felt like! It was also the same period of the total solar eclipse over part of Southern Africa – and the staff had organised a surprise champagne breakfast near the one water pan during the actual eclipse. Unluckily for us, we had 100% cloud cover! Non-the-less, we had the atmosphere! A month ago I joined some members of my church and we drove to the Ubombo Mission hospital, and over the weekend, we washed and sanded and cleaned and painted the chapel in the hospital grounds, followed by the local service being held by the Bishop in the chapel and communion – it really was a wonderful experience.

Our tourism Xmas cocktail party we had at Lisa’s house was tremendous – a fair turnout and super drinks and snacks supplied by Lisa, with her house decorated in a Danish theme – thanks again Lisa. At the end of March I organised another Tourism dinner – and this time we went to the beautiful El-Arish restaurant – which is an Indian theme with great views over Durban harbour from the Bluff. I was totally amazed at the shocking manners of some of my colleagues and our main tourism marketing staff – they either arrived 20 to 40 minutes late or did not arrive at all. You can be my bottom dollar, they will never get my support – if that is the way they treat their colleagues, imagine how they treat their clients! The rest of us had a super time and really enjoyed the food – one of the tastiest meals I have ever eaten! If you read the last edition of Dean’s Diary, then you will recall that my goldfish all died, well with Elvis and Nkosinyathi help, we rebuilt the water feature and made a fish pond this time – 3 times the size and much nicer! I now have 6 happy fish in there, as they swim around to their hearts content, with rocks and tunnels and flowers to swim under and around. They have grown so big over the last few months, I get worried when Nkosi looked at them, licking his lips and muttering something about “fish and chips” !!
A few days before going to Ndumo, I went down the South Coast- more specifically to the Hibiscus Coast, to an Internet workshop and then I spent the night there, so that I could explore and see what other attractions there are down south – WOW, was I impressed – so much so, that I organised another educational tour for colleagues and off went a group of Tour Operators to the Hibiscus Coast – and they all returned 3 days later, full of excitement and enthusiasm about what was on offer down south. So pleased they enjoyed themselves and let’s hope that they will support the establishments down there and introduce the International tourists to the region as well. It offers different types of attractions – which include adventure sports, dolphin and whale watching by boat, hiking, cultural & ethnic arts, super accommodation and meals, crafts and quite a few other things to make it worthwhile to spend a few days there. Domestic tourists fill all the beds of the hotels and chalets during the Easter, July and Summer holidays!

Sometimes people ask me when is the best time of the year to visit – well, all our parts of our country are very seasonal, and as Mrs Cheryl Charolus, the CEO for Satour said at a meeting I went to last month, we do NOT have a winter here in South Africa – we really only have three seasons. Our summers are hot – from November to March, the day time temperatures can peak as high as 45 Celsius in the extreme areas, but typically, the average throughout the country will be about 29 degrees Celsius. Night time temperatures will be between 15 and 25 degrees. April and May are the best months, weather wise, to explore the whole of South Africa – we have very little rain-fall, the humidity experienced in Zululand and Kruger Park is virtually gone, the nights are refreshing at 13 to 22 degrees and day time temperatures range from 20 to 31 Celsius. June to August is what the northern Hemisphere residents will say is close to you late summer, early autumn weather. Especially in the areas away from Cape Town, the day time temperatures will range from 15 to 28 Celsius, with Zululand and Kruger areas being the warmest. Night temperatures will be between 8 and 19 Celsius, and only when there is a cold front passing through our country will the night temperatures drop below 8 and when a very large cold front, will it go below freezing for a few nights. During the months Sept to November, the day times are starting to increase again, with some rain (most of the spring rain is in Oct and November) and this is when the flowers, grass, bush and fauna all come alive! Yes, a large number of animals give birth in November, as this is when there is soft lush and fresh grass for their babies, and water, and so the predators also give birth now, as there are baby non-predators to eat!
People often ask me when is the best time to visit South Africa – ANYTIME is the correct answer – all depends on your interests. The cooler months from June to September are the best for gameviewing – as the bush and grass is at its thinnest, rivers are not flowing or very slowly, and so animals congregate near waterholes or dams – making it easier to spot them. During the day, I generally wear a pair of shorts and T-shirt – and I think about 10 times in the whole year, I put on a pair of longs during the day – only when a cold front is passing through! The summer months are HOT, and during the heat of the day (9am till 3pm), the animals seek refuge under trees and bushes, away from the sun, so this makes game-viewing frustrating as there is very little action – which the Disney and Discovery channels depict!

Well, three days have now passed and I shall end this here! Thanks for reading this – and do drop me an e-mail. I shall try and write the next edition sooner, maybe in a month or two’s time, and then it shall not be so long!

All the best

Dean

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